Hi I'm Grant the Polite Guy and I was homeless for about a year and a half. So much has happened since then. I write here to help bring homeless awareness looking at the world through a homeless person's point of view.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Exciting Times

I’ll tell
you now I’m more excited now than ever about things with helping homeless and
people in need. I done a BBQ for the homeless and people in need at Wynnum, now
we didn’t get a great number of people but I did take a step back and noticed
all the new people that had come to help. New charity groups came by the bus
loads.

To be honest
I have never worked so little putting the event together. I would very much
like to thank in a huge way Pastor Lui and crew, The Kotahi Aroha crew and The
Tautoko Crew for all they done.

Now one
couple really went far and beyond and that’s Katey Keating-McKee and her great
husband. But I’m going to write a post on this couple later (Next Post) in full
detail because there awesome.

After doing
the BBQ event at Wynnum Pastor Lui is now going to be doing these BBQ’s once a
month at Wynnum and helping people on a regular basis. I’m going to help him
anyway I can and be proud that I started something great out that way. If you
want to help with this please contact me and I’ll be very happy to pass on
details.

I HAVE
DONE!!! I HAVE DONE IT!!! Well I have almost done it. Ha-ha. You see I posted
here and sent out a lot of emails to get my first coffee cart. I raised enough
to buy that cart and a lot of things I needed for it to be ready for operation.
If you remember I am going to be helping people to get on their feet personally
and then give them all the training needed, then given full time employment
working the coffee cart. Plus 20cents from every coffee was going towards
(Signal Flare) the homeless BBQ’s I do. So in fact I would be helping people on
their feet and with just going to work and making coffee would in turn be
helping others in the future. Awesome.

Everything
was going great except I couldn’t get a lease for the cart in the city due to
the fact my new business had no experience. Now one thing that keeps me going
sometimes is the fact that I was homeless so I know what homeless and people in
need are going through and I’ve achieved so much because of heart and the fact
I just don’t give up.

Now
sometimes I think some things are meant to be and happen for a reason, I just
don’t understand why sometimes. Ha-ha. But this was meant to be because I just
got approved for a shop lease which I can turn into a coffee shop. But the best
part is it already has a nice looking counter and sink and things out back. It
was a café/restaurant before. All I need to do is bring most of the stuff I was
using on the coffee cart and put into the shop and away I go. Yes I’ll need
tables, chairs, signs and a lot more, but I can do this. But here’s the best
part, it’ll help maybe 12 full time staff which means I’ll be able to help at
least 12 people to get on their feet, training and give an opportunity too.

Does anyone
know where I can get free or cheap good second hand tables and chairs? I’m sure
there’s going to be a few things needed but that’s the next thing on my list.

To make this
even more helpful for homeless I’m going to be doing the “Suspended Coffee”
which means people who have extra money can come and buy a coffee and it is put
on hold and given to a homeless person.

Now to
people reading this it may not seem like much, but to the 12 people it’ll be
huge. I really wish you all could see my smile right now because I’m so happy
just to be writing this. WOO HOO. Yeah.

I get the
keys on Monday 19th of August and having a Grand Opening on Saturday
24th of August from 9am. So please add this date and come and
celebrate with me for the opening of the first store.

I want to
write about a guy I have been helping along the way for a few years now, James
(not his real name) has been homeless for at least 3½ years that I know of. I
have seen him over time become more confident in himself to the fact I am proud
of him. This morning he called me and we spoke for about an hour on the phone (
I called him back so it didn’t cost him) but I have some very exciting news.
James has been in touch with his family and is ready to go home and in a way
start fresh.

Now I must
say I was trying hard to hold back the excitement while talking to him. He told
me he had to pay a debt with getting Methadone at a chemist which he insisted
on paying, but asked if I could pay for a ticket for him to go back home to his
family. For me this is a huge breakthrough because I have talked about him
doing this time and time again. YES now he wants too. I’m so excited right now.
I can’t tell you how many “Pie’s and Cokes” I bought while talking about how
everything okay to go home.

But here’s
the thing. I normally pay for these things myself out of my own pocket but I
can’t right now because I’m pouring all the money I can into getting the coffee
shop (which is not enough) up and going to help many more people. So in saying
that I’d like to know who is willing to pay for a guy to go back home after at
least 3½ years of being on the streets?
It would be a plane fare to Sydney and enough money to pay for train and back
to the airport and enough for drinks and of course a meal. $170 maybe.

As I said I
normally pay for this myself so if anyone wants to think of this as loan then I
will pay them back for this after I have setup the coffee shop.

About Me

Hi I Grant the polite guy. I'm a big issue vendor that sells mags in the city. I spend most of my time saying "Have a nice day" to people that walk pass. I would see thousands of people a day and see alot of things that I am happy to share with you. If you stand in one spot long enough you'll see the world come to you.
I hope you enjoy the stories and have a nice day.